Now hear this: Twitter is where you go to talk about what’s happening, literally! Because sometimes 280 characters are just not enough 🤷🏻‍♀️.

The social network began testing the new “voice tweets” feature with a limited group of iOS users. 

People with access to the feature can open the tweet composer on their iOS device, tap the new icon depicting wavelengths, and tap the record button to begin recording. 

Voice tweets can be up to 140 seconds in length, and if the time limit is exceeded, a new voice tweet automatically begins, creating a thread. Tapping the done button will bring users back to the composer screen, where they can share their voice tweets. 

Voice Tweets will appear in the timeline alongside other tweets, and tapping the image will enable people to play the audio. 

On iOS only, playback starts in a new window, so users can listen to voice tweets while continuing to scroll through their timeline and can also keep listening while using their phones.

Creating voice Tweets will be available to a limited group of people on Twitter for iOS to start, but in the coming weeks, everyone on iOS should be able to Tweet with their voice. Everyone will be able to see, hear, and reply.

Maya Patterson and Rémy Bourgoin, staff product designer and senior software engineer at Twitter, announced, “There’s a lot that can be left unsaid or uninterpreted using text, so we hope voice Tweeting will create a more human experience for listeners and storytellers alike. Whether it’s #storytime about your encounter with wild geese in your neighbourhood, a journalist sharing breaking news or a first-hand account from a protest, we hope voice Tweeting gives you the ability to share your perspectives quickly and easily with your voice. We can’t wait to see how people will use this to make their voices heard and add to the public conversation.”

How will you benefit from another tool to express your thoughts and feelings? Can’t wait to hear what you have to say! For more, check out #SocialSpeak every week.